The present invention relates to an apparatus for laminating items and which apparatus will also transfer adhesives to substrates for purposes of producing articles such as labels and stickers.
The present invention relates to a master substrate processing apparatus with a master substrate engaging structure for tensioning a master substrate. 
It is common practice to protect documents and other items such as cards by encasing them in clear plastic coverings. Various products known as protectors are available for this purpose. Another common way of protecting documents and similar items is to laminate them. Lamination involves sealing the document or item between oppositely applied transparent films and lamination is commonly applied to such items as driver""s licenses, identification cards, membership cards and the like.
Another operation that is often applied to documents and papers is that of adhesive transfer. Adhesive transfer is an operation that is used to make articles such as labels and stickers. One manner of producting such labels is to print the labels on blanks provided for this purpose. The blanks generally have an adhesive backing and are secured to a liner from which they may be peeled at the time of use. Computer systems are available that have the capability of printing labels on liner label stock provided for this purpose. This manner of making labels or stickers is expensive and further is limiting in that the printed material must be adapted to the physical size or confines of the label or sticker carried on the liner. This limits the information and creativity that may be incorporated in label making.
Based on the foregoing, there exists a need for a simple multi-purpose apparatus which can both serve to apply laminates to documents and papers and which will also serve to apply adhesive, including dry adhesives, to materials of various sizes so a wide variety of labels and stickers may be produced. The apparatus of the present invention can apply clear plastic laminates to master substrates of various sizes and can also transfer adhesive to substrates of various sizes not being limited by length. Adhesive transfer can be applied to either surface of the item as required. The apparatus can also apply dry adhesives from double sided release coated liners to a substrate.
In apparatuses designed to perform laminating operations, adhesive transfer operations, both, or other such master substrate processing operations in which adhesive bonding occurs between a master and stock materials, it is desirable to keep the master substrate smooth, flat, and properly aligned as it enters the master substrate processing assembly. If the master substrate is misaligned or wrinkled as it advances through the master substrate processing assembly, the resulting end product may be less than satisfactory. For example, in a laminating operation, if a master substrate having straight side edges is angled with respect to the side edges of the laminating films, then the resulting laminated product will have a misaligned appearance; or, if the master substrate is wrinkled, the resulting laminated product may also be wrinkled. In an adhesive transfer operation, if the master substrate is wrinkled, then certain spots may be missed during transfer of the adhesive. The nature of adhesive bonding makes it difficult to correct such errors, and normally the user will have to repeat the operation with a new master substrate.
Consequently, there exists a need for a master substrate processing apparatus with a suitable device for smoothing and properly aligning a master substrate as it is advancing in a feeding direction into the master substrate processing assembly of the apparatus. 
Briefly, in accordance with the present invention, a multi-purpose laminating and adhesive transfer apparatus is provided which has a frame or housing with mounting means for receiving a cartridge which is insertable to supply material to perform the necessary laminating or adhesive transfer operation. The cartridge has a box-like housing in which upper and lower supply rolls containing webs of laminating or adhesive transfer material are rotatively secured. The rolls have tensioning caps which can be adjusted to prevent the supply rolls from overrunning as they pay-out material. The caps are pre-set in accordance with the operation being performed and the characteristics of the material. The tensioning caps may be pre-set by the material supplier at the time they are inserted into the cartridge. The user selects the cartridge appropriate to the operation to be performed.
First and second nip rollers extend transversely in the housing at a location intermediate the cartridge supply rollers. The nip rollers have a resilient coating and engage one another or are slightly spaced-apart in parallel relationship to one another. Preferably the lower nip roller is displaced forwardly from the upper nip roller in the direction of the cartridge. An actuator, which may be powered or may be manual such as a hand crank, is provided for driving or rotating at least one of the nip rollers which, in turn, drives the other roller.
A feed tray is removably mountable to the housing to facilitate feeding the article to be processed. Preferably the feed tray is removably secured in a general horizontal location aligned with the nip. The feed tray carries a transversely extending guide and wiper which smooths, cleans and positions the master fed along the tray. A discharge opening is provided at the rear of the housing and a cutter blade extends transversely across the housing adjacent the discharge. The cutter blade may be manually actuated by a lever to upwardly sever the substrate at a desired location in conjunction with an anvil bar.
By way of example, the lower feed roll may comprise a flexible film with an adhesive coating. The upper feed roll comprises a supply of film which has an affinity for adhesive. The upper and lower films are fed between the nip rollers. The tray is placed in position and a pre-printed master such as a master containing labels repetitively printed on a sheet can be fed via the tray to the interface between the nip rollers passing between the tray surface and the wiper. Adhesive will be transferred from the bottom film to the labels with excessive adhesive being picked up by the top film. The labels are now provided with an adhesive and are attached to the lower film and may be severed from one another by the cutting blade at the discharge opening. The labels may be peeled from the film substrate when used.
Accordingly, it is a primary and broad object of the present invention to provide a simple and efficient laminating or adhesive transfer device in which cartridges containing various types of films can be easily and selectively inserted for use in performing various laminating and adhesive transfer operations. The term xe2x80x9capplicator and transfer apparatusxe2x80x9d as used herein is to be understood to comprehend both adhesive transfer and laminating operations as the device both transfers laminates and adhesives to items.
To meet the above need, the present invention provides a master substrate processing apparatus for processing a master substrate. The apparatus of the present invention comprises a first supply roll comprising a wound supply of a first stock material carrying a layer of adhesive; a second supply roll comprising a wound supply of a second stock material; a master substrate processing assembly having structure constructed and arranged to process the master substrate and the unwound portions of the stock materials during advancement thereof in a feeding direction through the processing assembly to affect adhesive bonding between the master substrate and the adhesive; structure providing a master substrate supporting surface adjacent a feed side of the master processing assembly to support the master substrate thereon as the master substrate is being fed into the master substrate processing assembly; and a master substrate engaging structure extending generally transversely across the master substrate supporting surface, the master substrate engaging structure having a master substrate engaging surface that engages the master substrate while supported on the master substrate supporting surface so as to apply frictional resistance to advancement of the master substrate in the feeding direction to thereby tension the master substrate. 